


Tastes Like Rainbows

by imafriendlydalek



Series: American Pride [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bagels, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-06-02 02:10:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6546241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imafriendlydalek/pseuds/imafriendlydalek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The weirdest part about being a celebrity is the free stuff. Steve’s gotten some very thoughtful gifts from fans and a few, well, <em>interesting</em> ones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tastes Like Rainbows

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fitz_y](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fitz_y/gifts), [orbingarrow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orbingarrow/gifts).



> Apparently I have a thing for Steve Rogers eating bagels (it happens strangely often in my fics). This was bound to happen. I blame fitz_y for insisting I write this and OrbingArrow for actually going to the bakery that makes the rainbow bagels. Who could resist a prompt like that? Not me, clearly.

The weirdest part about being a celebrity - besides getting used to the idea that he _is_ a celebrity - is the free stuff. It’s ironic, really. He’d put newspapers in his shoes to keep his toes from freezing off and gone days without a warm meal as a teen because he couldn’t afford it. Now that he has some money - billionaire boyfriend aside, he’d been given more than enough in back pay to live _very_ comfortably for the rest of his days - people insist on sending him things for free. Not just invitations to fancy events with thousands-of-dollars-a-plate meals that he doesn’t have to pay for or samples for him to wear in public so that maybe other people will go out and buy whatever Captain America was wearing, but also little gifts from everyday people who just want to send him a token of... is it appreciation? Gratitude? Affection? Steve isn’t sure what the intentions are, though he does generally appreciate it.

He’s gotten some very thoughtful gifts - a collection of postcards of Brooklyn over the years, handmade ear warmers after he mentioned in an interview that he doesn’t like the cold - and a few, well, _interesting_ ones. There was the voodoo doll that looked like Loki, for example, Iron Man-branded lipstick (it figures that Tony had given the Merchandising department his approval for that…), and lots and lots of rainbow flags, not to mention some considerably more adult and less appropriate gifts. 

Steve accepts that he has come to be a kind of “gay ambassador”. In fact, he generally relishes the role. He’s glad to act not only as a positive role model for the younger LGBT community but also as an example for people who might not be comfortable around gays. If Steve’s openness helps just one person feel better about who they are and if it allows just one person to re-evaluate their previous stance on homosexuality, then it is worth it.

There are days when he longs for a simpler life, sure, but those are thankfully rare. He’s glad to be able to live openly, something he never would have thought possible in his youth.

“Something on your mind, Spangles?” Tony’s voice pulls Steve out of his thoughts as he drops onto the couch next to Steve with a long sigh.

“Just… thinking. You alright?” 

Tony looks exhausted, his hair rumpled from obviously running his hands through it as he tends to do when he gets exasperated. Not surprising - he’d been at a Board meeting all day. He groans and flops over so that his head is in Steve’s lap, tired brown eyes looking up at Steve. Steve brings his hand up to run it through Tony’s hair, massaging the spot in the center of his scalp that always makes his eyes flutter.

“Nnnngh,” Tony exhales. “I ever mention how much I _hate_ Board meetings?”

“Once or twice,” Steve says with a fond laugh. That’s when he notices a few envelopes and a small package on the coffee table. He nods towards the pile. “What’s in the package?”

Tony cranes his head to look over. “No idea. ‘S for you. Probably fan mail again, you crowd favorite, you.”

Steve smiles and leans forward to grab the package, careful not to smoosh Tony’s head in the process. The sender is a bakery in Brooklyn - that’s odd. He tears off the tape around the edges and flips open the box. Inside is a letter and a brown paper bag.

“Well?” Tony asks when Steve doesn’t say anything for a minute, too busy reading the letter.

“Kid from Missouri. Says thanks to both of us for showing people that gay people are normal too.” Tony snorts at that, but Steve continues. “Says he wishes there were some better way for him to show his gratitude, but he thought I might like these. Huh,” he huffs as he carefully opens the brown paper bag. 

He lets out a loud laugh when he sees what is inside, laughing long enough that Tony shoots him a questioning look and pokes him in the ticklish spot under his ribs to get him to stop.

“Come on, Capperdo, share it with the rest of us. What is it? Big ol’ rainbow dildo again?”

“No, nothing like that,” Steve wheezes. “Here.” He reaches into the bag and pulls out one of the items, dropping it into Tony’s hand. “JARVIS, do we have any cream cheese?”

Tony blinks at the rainbow-colored bagel in his hand before bursting out in laughter as well.

“Plain and walnut,” JARVIS replies with an undeniable amused tone to his voice. “Though I must warn you that Agent Barton has engaged in the dubious practice known as ‘double-dipping’ with the walnut cream cheese.”

“Aw, Bartonnnnn, no,” Tony whines through his laughter as he swings his legs over the edge of the couch to sit up. Steve follows him into the kitchen, where Tony proceeds to slather cream cheese (plain, not walnut) onto his bagel. He takes a gigantic bite, chewing thoughtfully.

“Well?”

“Tayft like pwide and wainbowf,” Tony mumbles around his mouthful.

Steve can’t resist - he pulls out his phone and snaps a picture, then leans in to take a photo with the two of them, each holding a rainbow bagel.

“If’at’s goin’ on Instagwam, I better not have cream cheef on my fafe,” Tony protests as he chews.

Steve reaches up to brush his thumb over the corner of Tony’s mouth, then makes a show of licking his thumb.

Tony gulps.

“Anyone ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full?”

“People tell me not to talk in loads of situations,” Tony shoots back. “Have I _ever_ listened to them?”

Once the picture finishes uploading - WE’RE HERE, WE’RE QUEER, AND WE LOVE CARBS, the caption reads - Steve turns his attention to his own bagel. He can’t help but notice Tony’s eyes on him as he nibbles it carefully before taking a similarly huge bite.

It does kind of taste like rainbows. And food coloring.


End file.
